Angry students of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology (MAKAUT) at Haringhata in Nadia demonstrated on campus on Tuesday over the death of a first-year MTech student on Monday night.

Protesters barred teachers and administrative officials from entering the campus, compelling authorities to suspend Tuesday’s exams.

On Monday night, Sayani Sen, a first-year MTech student, died after reportedly falling from the rooftop of the five-storey academic building.

Prima facie, it was suicide, allegedly triggered by humiliation after she was caught cheating in an exam earlier that day. Students close to Sayani said she had not been stable mentally.

The examiner initially confiscated her answer script but returned it 15 minutes later. After the test, she was nowhere to be found.

Later in the evening, she was discovered lying behind the academic building. Her hospitalisation was significantly delayed due to the absence of the university's ambulance driver. She lay unattended for nearly an hour before being taken to a local hospital on an e-rickshaw. Doctors declared her "brought dead".

As the news spread, students launched a demonstration, accusing the university authorities of gross negligence and demanding registrar Partha Pratim Lahiri step down.

On Tuesday, continuing their agitation, students submitted a five-point charter of demands to the varsity administration, seeking action against those responsible for the student’s death, including the registrar.

Interim vice chancellor Tapas Chakraborty, along with other officials, met students on Tuesday evening, but the deadlock continued.

"There is gross negligence on the part of the university authorities, including the registrar, in handling student safety and emergency services. He has repeatedly failed to act on critical safety issues, leading to the tragic loss of a student’s life. Given this level of negligence, he... must resign immediately," the students stated in a communique.

They alleged that the university’s emergency and security services had failed. Sayani had gone missing after the exam, and her mother — who lives with her in a rented house — repeatedly pleaded with security guards to help locate her, but they allegedly refused.

"When she was finally found, her pulse was still active. Timely medical intervention could have saved her life, but the university failed to provide an ambulance," said Kaushik Saha, a BBA student.

VC Chakraborty acknowledged lapses: "It is true we failed to provide an ambulance on time. We have now recruited three drivers on rotation for round-the-clock availability.... I have told the registrar to address other student grievances."